t.edu/~history/TMTCTW.html). Another computer era began in 1947 with the appearance of modern programmed electronic computers. These computers used the “stored-program technique” that was developed by John Von Neumann. Von Neumann demonstrated that, with proper program controls, a computer could have a very simple setup but yet perform and execute all kinds or computations effectively. The stored-program technique became essential for new and developing systems (Hall, 73). These computers used random access memory (RAM), which is memory that allows continuous access to information. These machines also had punched-card or punched-tape input and output devices and RAMs of 1000-word capacity (Chposky, 127). The EDVAC and UNIVAC are two of the machines included in this category. They were the first commercially offered computers. The UNIVAC was developed by John Eckert, Jr. and John W. Mauchley in the 1950’s. In the 1940’s Eckert and Mauchley formed the first computer company named Mauchley-Eckert Computer Corporation. They later fell upon hard financial times and eventually sold their company to the Remington-Rand Corporation. At the time, Remington-Rand was in the process of upgrading and designing new products. This was a great opportunity for them. They had just increased their staff and invested in the latest R&D facilities. They introduced their new product in the first quarter of 1953. The new computer was named the UNIVAC 120. Over one thousand units were produced before being replaced by the UNIVAC 1004, the last plugboard computer produced by the UNIVAC Division of the SperryRand Corporation.These new systems were much smaller than their brother, ENIAC, but they still required a great deal of maintenance, and they were programmed directly in machine language. Around 1955, programming had progressed and an advanced programming was being used. The latest trend was transistors, which were disco...
